Crashing Waves
by localsportsteam
Summary: AU. Ariel is a lively human princess, set to make her formal debut at the Royal Ball. Eric is a staff member at the castle, trying to repress a crush on the princess he has spoken to only once.


"If you can muster the courage, you can have her."

"Yeah, _right_ , Grim. It's just that easy."

"Well, she won't, like, fall into your arms. But if you talk to the girl, romance her, she might just like you." Grimsby leaned back and put his hands behind his head.

Eric snorted, and continued scrubbing dishes. "You've been married two months, and already you've forgotten how all of this works."

"Hey, I'm still a young man! And so are you." Grimsby insisted.

"I don't know…" Eric put down the dish and turned around.

"If you really love her, Eric, you've got to do something." Carlotta slid a stack of carrots into a dish with the back of her knife. "You can't stay like this forever."

"If this isn't love, I don't know what is." Eric shook his head. "I just can't get her out of my mind! Not for a day!"

"And it has been three years." Grimsby pointed out.

"Three years tomorrow." Eric stated. "During her other sister's debut ball."

"And her's is tomorrow! It'd be perfect! Ever so romantic." Carlotta sighed dreamily.

"Yeah, right." Eric snorted. "Hello, Princess. You don't really know me, and this is a really important night for you, but I'd like to ruin it by confessing my love and making you feel bad for rejecting me, which you inevitably will do."

"It won't be inevitable if you're _smart_!" Grimsby insisted. "You can't just walk up to the girl and spill your guts, you have to be suave! Romance her, then eventually confess-"

Carlotta interrupted "-That you've been sweet on her ever since she came down to the kitchens to thank the staff-"

"And found only you, cleaning up –"

"-and she asked about you, and was kind to you, moreso than even a princess should be-"

"-and she stayed for hours, and even helped you clean some-"

"-and you got along so well, that you felt like you were meant to have her in your life-"

"-and you've thought of her every day since, in her kindness and grace-"

"-always listening when others told of her spirit, and her adventures-"

"-that, eventually, you had to admit to yourself-"

"-that you loved her."

Eric blushed. "I don't say it that much."

"You do." Grimsby and Carlotta said in unison.

Carlotta continued, "But we understand why."

"Okay, okay." Eric held up his hands. "Let's say I do work up the courage to speak to her. Why would it matter? I'm working the ball, not attending. I'm no prince, and it's not like I can have a full conversation in between courses."

"That's true," Grimsby conceded. "However, there's the mingling before the meal. It's three hours long, and I'd be happy to cover you work."

"Me too!" Carlotta piped it.

Eric beamed, then his smile fell. "I still can't get in." He plucked at his simple white shirt. "I'm not a prince, or ambassador, or a political figure of any importance. I'd never get past the entrance."

"Well, good thing you're already inside." Grim smirked.

"I know where they keep the old clothes, a simple outfit wouldn't be missed. It'd be dated. You'd like a prince, just not a fashionable one." Carlotta piped in. "I'll make you over, I'm quite good at it you know. We'll scrub you up, dress you up, and you have three hours with the lady of your dreams."

"Do you really think this will work?"

"I don't know." Grim said honestly. "But do you really want to risk not trying?"

"No." Eric said firmly, looking at his two best friends. "Let's do it."

…

Carlotta clipped the scissors together a few times, and Eric balked.

"What exactly are you planning to do with those?" he asked.

"No princes wear their hair this long." Carlotta pointed at his shoulder-length hair. "And plus, we don't want Ariel to recognize you as the kitchen boy. You want to be this shiny, new prince. Someone she wants to get to know. Be yourself, just don't look like it."

"Fine." Eric sighed. "I trust you."

Carlotta left it a little long, but trimmed off several inches. After his hair was cut, she tossed him some soap and filled a tub, leaving while he scrubbed up. He got into a navy blue outfit, with a red sash across his chest. His boots were well-worn, but polished up, and if he could say so himself, he looked downright handsome.

"What do you guys think?" Eric stepped out of the room and spun around.

Grimsby smiled. "I think you're gonna catch yourself a bride tonight."

…

Eric was nervous as all get out, but such a feeling was justified. If he got caught, his job would be on the line. Ariel would most definitely never speak to him again, and he would never see more than a peasant's snippet of her. He had to blend in, yet stand out, but only to her. He didn't know if he was clever enough to execute such a task. But he had to try.

A quartet played in the corner of the ballroom, and guests mingled. He arrived, a little late, with hopes of a larger crowd to absorb into. He spotted her six sisters, laughing and mixing with other guests, and wondered if Ariel was already out.

His thought was nearly cut short but the cry of trumpets, calling for his, and everyone's, attention.

"Presenting, for her first debut, Princess Ariel of Atlantica!" a short announcer called, and Ariel emerged.

She beamed out at the crowd, and looked absolutely radiant. Her hair was intricately arranged into pin curls, and a pearl tiara rested upon her head. Her dress was a lighter forest green, and it swirled around her ankles, offering only a peak of lavender heels.

She descended gracefully, resting a thin hand along the banister. The crowd tittered, with girls whispering compliments and comments, men jostling their way to the front of the crowd.

"May I have the first dance?" A blonde man bowed to Ariel, extending out his right hand.

"You may." Ariel curtseyed, and the two took to the floor.

Eric hung back, thinking it best to not draw attention to himself by taking an early dance. He moved constantly, so that a curious onlooker would not question him as to his pedigree. He snacked lightly, and watched Ariel twirl around with dignitary after prince after well-groomed man. What was so great about balls anyway?

After almost an hour, he realized he was reaching a 'now or never' point, and eventually approached the source of his affection.

Clearing his throat, he nervously asked, "May I have this dance?"

Ariel paused, and Eric knew for sure that his cover was blown. "Of course." She curtseyed, and he dipped into a bow, then the two went slowly spinning around the dance floor.

Eric was almost bowled over by the situation he was in – who would've ever thought! He held her hand and her waist, and she was closer to him than she had ever been before. He smiled down at her without even realizing it, it just felt natural. She smiled back at him and he could feel his heart more than he could feel any other part of his body.

The music began to wane, and he jolted up. No! This couldn't be all he got! He held her still, almost daring any other man to try and cut in, but no music continued or restarted.

"The dancing is over." Ariel eventually said. Eric looked confused, so she continued. "There's more dancing after dinner, but during the mingling, only the first hour is dancing."

"Oh." Eric said. Oops, he was supposed to know that! "Oh! Yes, of course. My mind just slipped for a moment, pardon me."

Ariel smiled back at him. "It's fine, happens to the best of us."

"Would you, uh, want to take a walk with me?" Eric rubbed the back of his neck.

"Sounds lovely." She took his arm, and his heart went into a flutter again as they walked out of the palace and down to the beaches.

Ariel slipped off her shoes, and held them in her right hand along with her skirts, her left hand still around Eric's arm.

"So what's your name?"

"Eric!" Should he have lied?

But Ariel smiled and nodded, so clearly he had his cover yet. "I'm Ariel, if you didn't know."

"Well, this is your castle, your kingdom, and your ball, so, yes, I had a few hints."

She laughed (He made her laugh!) and the two walked just barely into the water. He wanted so badly to come up with a clever topic of conversation, a witty remark, a _something_ that would make him seem interesting and intriguing. But when he was around her, he was like a mute. It was so hard to find the words he needed when he was around her. She rendered him speechless.

"Oh, I wish we could just go swimming!" Ariel exclaimed, gathering her skirts up higher than what was appropriate in order to wade deeper.

"Well, why don't we?"

"Oh, my father would kill me!" Ariel leaned her head back to look at him. "All this time to get ready and look presentable, and I ruin it with a dip in the ocean!"

"Well, if you got ready, did it all once, can't you just do it again?" Eric asked, taking off his boots to wade out and join her. "Here, I can help you pin your hair up to save the curls, and you can just dance until your dress is dry. Or put on a different one."

"I like the way you think!" Ariel exclaimed, pulling out superfluous pins and handing them to Eric. "Here, pile up my hair."

Ariel ducked out of the green dress, though left on her petticoats, and Eric took off his jacket and left on everything else. The two jumped into the ocean, paddling out and splashing each other. They made up games and floated, gazing at stars. Time meant nothing to them. Laughing and jumping, Ariel eventually pulled herself up on a rock.

"Get up here!" she exclaimed, waving her arm.

"Unf, it's hard to get footing!" Eric grasped at the rock as best as he could.

Ariel laughed. "Keep trying!" she reached down a hand, and helped pull him up.

"That was wonderful." Eric sighed looking down at her.

Ariel bit her lip and sighed. Leaning in, she rested a hand on his jawline and brought down his face to meet hers.

"I lied," Eric said, breaking away. " _That_ was wonderful."

Ariel smiled again, and brought his face back down. He acquiesced to her guiding touch with pleasure.

They broke apart, and Ariel said "Good things come in threes." And leaned for another kiss. However, she was interrupted when she looked up and caught a glance at the sky, the stars, and the changing moon.

Gasping, she exclaimed. "Look how much the moon has moved! We must be going on hour three!"

"So?" Eric leaned over the side of the rock to see where she slipped off and re-entered the water. He scrambled to follow her.

"I'm having a lovely time, but this _is_ my ball, and I should be there!" Ariel exclaimed, paddling through the water.

They made it to the beach, and Eric called. "Just, let me say one thing."

"Go on." Ariel scrambled to let down her hair, and the tight curls had been washed into loose waves.

"I'm not who you might think. My name is Eric, but I'm not royal, or important. I work in the kitchens. I didn't mean to invade your ball as a sign of disrespect or rebellion, I – I"

"Yes?"

Blast it! He was losing his words, like the tide had dragged them out to sea. "I just, really wanted to meet you.

Ariel walked up to him slowly, a smile playing at her lips. "Do you really think I forgot about you?"

She placed her hand on his chest and leaned up to meet him for their third kiss, of many to come.

 **Review, please!**


End file.
